Leather-treating composition



Patented June 17, 1930 TBS or 'rwnnvn PER cnnr T0 onnnnncn VLTAYLOR tnn rnnn rnnn'rme coivirosrrron n nrawin Application filed January 10, was, serial no. 245,805. Renewed April '30, 1930.

This invention relates to improvements in leather treating composition and particularly to a composition capable of use for conditioning hides or skins that are to be utilized in the production of patent leather; 7

In the production of patent leather shoes, the treated hide or skin with the necessary finish on oneside is cut to form the Vamps or parts necessary to construct an upper, and

the latterlare placed on suitable lasts. The

sizeof the uppers and lasts depends, of course, on the size of the shoe being made, but in all i-nstances'theleatherisdampened to facilitate being stretched on the last. Afterwards, but while still under tensionon the last, the up persare permitted to dry, under which circumstances the finished surface of a great many of the uppers crack, rendering many of them unusable, or subject to repair, This cracking of the finished surface of the uppers is primarily due to the fact that the previous treatment of the leather is not such as to render it pliable enough for the manufacturer to last it without dampening, either by Wetting or steaming. Therefore, in an attempt to reduce this loss of cracked uppers, caused by the wetting and subsequent drying, the present invention contemplates a composition that will render the hide or finished leather more pliable, whereby it may be lasted without first being dampened.

Again, the invention provides a leather conditioning composition by which the leather may be treated and afterward dried,

"whose penetrating qualities are regulable more or less at will, depending upon the density or hardness of the hides or skins being treated. Specifically, the composition comprises an essential oil and a solvent for the same, mixed with a certain volume of water as a diluent.* A composition of this nature has been found highly'satisfactory for conditioning the more porous leathers but where a greater penetration is desired,

7 as in the case of a denser hide or skin being treated, an increased volume of the oil is necessary. However, experiments have clearly demonstrated that if the volume of any one oil is increased, a greater quantity of solvent is also necessary in order to obtain a perfect solution of the oil withrthe result that the additional solvent causes the solution to'penetrate the leather too rapidly to efiect the best results, in that the leather, after treatment, is apt to be too dry or too brittle. On the otherhand, it hasalso been determined T -NT cries wrLLiAiu mats Ann nns. M. TAYLonor nnrrMonn, MARYLAND, nssicivons that if a combination of two or more essential oils in equal quantities (the volume of each oil being equal to the volume of: oil used where a single oil is utilized) are mixed with the same volume of solvent, each of said oils is completely dissolved by the solvent, thereby obtaining a, clear solution which will possess greater penetrating qualities without acting too rapidly, as distinguished. from the solution where a greater quantity of solvent is used. In other words, a fixed quantityof solvent is used regardless of whether one or more oils are used, but in no case is theyquantity of any one oil increased; From this it, would appear that the Solventiscapable. of dissolving a certain quantity of an oilybut after ,the saturation point for that oil is reached, the solvent is-still capable of carry.-

ing in solution, one, or more additional oils.

In actual practice, however, ithas been found that the densest of leather is "satisfactorily penetrated bya-composition containing not more than four of the oils. 5 In view of the foregoing, the specific com position preferred for the treatment of, the denser leathers, consists of water and alcohol, the latter actingas a solvent anda carrier for the essential oils. In lieu of alcohol, any other solvent sufiiciently miscible with water, for instance, acetone, may be used. Preferably, oil of thyme, oil of Wintergreen, oil of peppermint and oil of eucalyptus, are used: In preparing the composition where alcohol is used as the solvent, equal portions of each'ofthe four oils are first dissolved in the "alcohol and this solution then thoroughly mixed with the water. Best results seem to beaccomplishedwhere one portion-(1 c. c.) of each oil is used with two hundred and fifty parts (250 c. c.) of alcohol, towhich, is added water (approximately 75010. c.) to make a total of onejthousand parts" (1000' c. jIf onlythreeiof theoils'are being sed 110-; Qt-1 of each is dissolvedjin the alcohol,

whose volume remains the same (250 c. 0.), to which mixture approximately 750 c. c. of water is added. For hides that are more easily penetrated, it is desirable to reduce the penetrating qualities of the composition, in which event one part (1 c. c.) of each of only two oils is mixed with the 250 c. c. of alcohol and water to bring the total volume up to 1000 c. c. For the most readily penetrated hides or skins, all but one ot the oils may be dispensed with, the composition then being composed of approximately 750 c. c. water, and 250 c. 0. alcohol, in which 1 c. c. of any one of the essential oils has been thoroughly dissolved. In each of the examples given, the quantity of water added is sufiicient to produce a clear solution. When acetone is used, however, equal portions of the same and water have been found best in obtaining a clear solution.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that starting with the one oil solution for the most readily penetrated hides or leather as a basis, additional penetrating qualities are imparted to the composition not by increas ing the amount of the specific oil used in the suppositional basic compound but, on the other hand, the oil content is increased by the use of another oil of the same roup, i. e.,

an essential oil. As has been described, this steppingup process may be continued until four of the essential oils have been incorporated, making a composition with which the densest of hides or skins may be treated with the best of results.

As a rsum, it might be stated that the invention consists in the use of the essential oil or oils in the solvent and diluent which act as a vehicle to carry and distribute it or them rather uniformly throughout the pores of the hide or skins, together with the dis covery that where an increase in the oil content is necessary for penetrating the tougher hides or skins, such increase should be at tained by using two or more different oils instead of using an increased quantity of any one oil. In actual practice, this procedure has been found to give highly satisfactory results, the hides or skins being made pliable, and not subject to cracking or peeling.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. A leather conditioning material consisting of water, alcohol, oil of Wintergreen, oil of peppermint, oil of thyme and oil of eucalyptus.

2. A leather conditioning material consisting of a mixture of water and'alcohol, having a plurality of essential oils in equal quantities carried in solution therein.

3. A leather conditioning material consisting of a mixture of water and alcohol having a plurality of essential oils carried in solution therein, the proportions of said oils in.

equal quantities being such as to substantially saturate the solution.

4:. A leather conditioning material consisting of a mixture of approximately 74 water, 25% of alcohol, and of oil of thyme, oil of eucalyptus, oil of Wintergreen and oil of peppermint, in substantially equal quantities.

5. A leather conditioning material consisting of water mixed with a solution of a plurality of essential oils in equal quantities dissolved in a suitable solvent therefor, said solvent being substantially saturated with said oils.

6. A leather treating material comprising water, alcohol and an essential oil in proportions of approximately 750 parts of water, 250 parts alcohol and one part oil.

7. A leather treating material comprising an essential oil, a solvent for said oil, and water in proportions of approximately 750 parts water, one part oil and 250 parts solvent.

8. A leather treating material comprising water, alcohol, oil of thyme and oil of eucalyptus, said oils being dissolved in said alcohol.

9. A leather conditioning material comprising water, alcohol, oil of thyme, oil of eucalpytus, and oil of peppermint.

l/VILLIAM H. TAYLOR. ADA M. TAYLOR. 

